There was a strong sense of d?jà vu about Wales’s performance at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein, but only in part. Against England in February, Wales committed so many errors in the first half that they gave the opposition such extra possession that they ran rampant. So it was for the Springboks on

Approached about the national coaching role in Wales and asked whether he defined himself as a manager or a coach, Warren Gatland answered that he saw himself as having his feet firmly on the grass and not on the concrete. He was a man in a tracksuit who coached a rugby team. Typical of a New

This may be a worrying time for the Ospreys. Not simply because they enter a significant moment in the creation of their reputation in the Heineken Cup and their standing in the game in these islands. Suddenly there is a glamour that attaches to them and in some quarters they are perceived to be

You cannot keep a good man down and Shane Williams is having the time of his life on the left wing, whether it be for Wales or for the Ospreys. The force is undeniably with him. Whatever he touches has the mark of a player at the top of his game, playing with confidence and a touch of class. He

Normal service will resume this weekend and, from a Welsh perspective, it will be interesting to note whether the success of the national team in the RBS Six Nations Championship will filter through to the regional sides. The Ospreys, Wales’s sole remaining representative in the EDF Energy Cup

In the muscular confrontation that is the modern game, Wales have made themselves a match for other teams in this tournament, but they have risen above their rivals in their ambition. They have dared to seek the more open air and to exploit the individual talent within their team. By and large the

This is like old times as I look back through sepia-tinted yet enduring daydreams. So it was a long time ago that the championship decider was fought, as it will be tomorrow, between Wales and France. Throughout the youthful 1970s, the European challenge rested between these nations. The most

At Croke Park on Saturday, as indeed has been indicated all season, it was evident that much more can be expected of this Wales team. There is much promise. In each of the RBS Six Nations Championship games they have shown glimpses of a strong streak of creativity lying at the heart of what they

So far it has been an interesting RBS Six Nations Championship. “Interesting” being in its way an interesting sort of word used when nothing else will quite fit the bill, when at a loss and not quite sure how what is on view or to be traded should be described. This is in the way a roadside

One of rugby’s more intriguing laws is the one that indicates that, although time is up, the game is not over until the ball goes out of play. This extends a match’s possibilities and its drama. Munster looked to have this game sewn up as they spent the final seven minutes encamped ten metres from